Cespedes Time and our First Major League Baseball!

It was a beautiful night at the Fens.  It was crisp for the middle of August, maybe 65 degrees at first pitch.  G and I had great seats, courtesy of a coach's gift I received from one of my baseball players. Although G would bring his glove to every game we went to, we actually had a legitimate chance at getting a foul ball this time.  I just hope not to the face since we were so close to the action.

7pm.  We stroll around our section watching all of the pregame action.  A couple of salutations and a couple of folks throwing out first balls.  Considering this was a battle of two of the worst teams in the American League this year, it was tough to say that there was electricity in the air, but it was still exciting.  And then Clay Buchholz came out of the dugout, he with his 5+ ERA.  Again, I wouldn't say there was electricity in the air, but there was definite tension; I mean the Red Sox traded their other 4 starting pitchers at the Trade deadline and couldn't get rid of Clay.  How awkward.

First Inning.  But he started strong.  His fastball was reaching 92-93 MPH.  His curveball looked sharp.  Maybe this was going to be vintage Buchholz night.  He struck out the first batter, Jose Altuve hit a deep flyball that Jackie Bradley and then he struck out Chris Carter.  That strike out of Carter was huge, because as Christian Vasquez was coming back tot eh dugout, he threw the ball in the stands, or should I say he threw it to us.  Our first major league baseball! I've been to a hundred games in my life, maybe more and I never got a ball, foul or otherwise.  G goes to his 6th or 7th game and he gets a ball after a strikeout directly from the Catcher?  I'm not jealous or anything, but come on, how is that fair? (In all reality Vasquez threw it in our general direction, I caught it and then gave it to G - don't tell anyone.).  The other way sounds better for G's Instagram followers.

Got the picture of the HR

Third Inning.  One of the best trades G thinks the Red Sox ever made was to trade Jon Lester for Yoenis Cespedes. 

"We're getting Lester back at the end of the year." G has proclaimed a couple of times.  He's not sure how, but he's sure that it's happening. 

And this could not have been more true after Cespedes turns on an hanging breaking ball and blasts one into the Green Monster seats.  That left the bat and got into the seats in about 1 second.  2-0 Red Sox!  As Papi rounds the bases he looks at the seats and nods.  Cespedes in all business though and heads straight back to the dugout, no smile, nothing.  Must have been all of the "training" in Cuba that makes him that way.

8th Inning.  The Red Sox are clinging to a 3-2 lead.  Buchholz has pitched great and is line for the win.  Eric Mujica, starting the 8th, leaves with two runners on base.  Tommy Lane comes on and promptly strikes out the next two batters, leading up to one of the strangest sequences I've seen in a long time.  With runners on first and second, Matt Dominguez hits a soft liner to Shortstop.  Unfortunately, the force at second is safe as Pedroia misses the base.  Meanwhile, pinch runner Gregorio Petit, who was at second at the time, tries to score on the play.  Pedroia throws a strike to Vasquez, who unwittingly (at least I hope it was unwittingly) moves up the base line in such a way, that he can't make the tag on Petit coming toward him.  Instead Vazquez fires the ball to Burke Badenhop covering the plate who promptly drops it.  Run scores, tie game!  Farrell challenges the play, although as we are looking at the replay on the TV, we aren't sure what he is challenging - the play at second? The baserunner being out of the baseline at home? The tag?  After 5 long minutes, the point is mute, the umpires conclude that everyone is safe and the run has scored.

Ultimately, as my cranky back starts to act up, we leave as that run in the 8th has sent the game into extra innings.  With that 19 inning game fresh in my memory, I talk G into leaving.  Turns out the game only went 10 innings as the Astros win 5-3.  We leave in high spirits though, but not before G gets himself the newest addition to his Red Sox wardrobe.

Successful night all around, and I (err I mean we) have finally got that baseball.